Andrew Tucker wrote:> I just quit my current job to take my first compiler development> position. In doing so, lots of people have asked me why I want to> get into compiler development and it has made me think about it. I> have my standard reasons (listed below), but I wonder what makes you> enjoy this area?

Compilers are a very "pure" sort of programming exercise. They seem to
maximise the fun stuff - zippy algorithms, tight data structures,
simple databasing, parsing, and all that, while cutting away most of
the annoying time-wasters that plague modern applications. As was
pointed out here previously, compilers don't have to worry about
random asynchronous user events. In addition, for the most part, the
vagaries of ever-changing commercial OSes don't touch the compiler.

I got into compiling for purely practical reasons - nobody had written
a compiler for x language on y platform and nobody seemed likely to do
so. It's been "a learning experience" of course, but also a great lot
of fun.